


Italics

by Ink_stained_quills



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Characters are third years, Gay Male Character, KyouHaba - Freeform, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Seijoh - Freeform, Straight Ally Watari, anyway watari is great, did you know that 'mutually unrequited' is a tag, i'm pretty attatched to Himari you're warned, who's got feels then?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:28:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24829111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_stained_quills/pseuds/Ink_stained_quills
Summary: Yahaba and Kentarou are not friends.They are teammates, captain and ace, third years trying to hold both themselves and Seijoh together.  They are two teenagers that bicker and occasionally work together properly but mostly fail, and sometimes even that feels better than it used to.Herein lies the issue.  Crushing on Yahaba (reluctantly, of course, shit) was easy when they didn’t interact, but now he’s been actually attending club.  Actually attending club means actually Looking At Yahaba, which is a terrible idea for many reasons.[In which Kyoutani crushes on Yahaba, Yahaba gets a girlfriend, and friendships are made.  Also featuring Watari being excellent in general, like he always is.]
Relationships: Kyoutani Kentarou & Watari Shinji, Kyoutani Kentarou & Watari Shinji & Yahaba Shigeru, Kyoutani Kentarou & Yahaba Shigeru, Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru
Comments: 16
Kudos: 236





	Italics

**Author's Note:**

> Can you believe I've never written a kyouhaba fic before? (Other than in the background of my 'Hanamaki disease' series.)
> 
> At any rate, the lyrics are from Wishing it Was You by K. Flay, and I'd recommend listening to it before/during reading this? You don't have to, but I think it'd be useful.
> 
> **Edit 10/25/20: lyrics have been italicized**

_I’ve got something on my mind // Like I’m out every night_

Yahaba and Kentarou are not friends.

They are teammates, captain and ace, third years trying to hold both themselves and Seijoh together. They are two teenagers that bicker and occasionally work together properly but mostly fail, and sometimes even that feels better than it used to.

Herein lies the issue. Crushing on Yahaba (reluctantly, of course, shit) was easy when they didn’t interact, but now he’s been actually attending club. Actually attending club means actually Looking At Yahaba, which is a terrible idea for many reasons.

Reason number one: Yahaba is, conventionally, attractive. Not as much as Oikawa was, but he’s somewhat inherited the fanclub the older setter left (Kentarou doesn’t care that Iwaizumi’s fan club - yes, he had one, Kentarou was NOT a founding member - didn’t gravitate towards him when the previous ace graduated. He didn’t expect them to, and he’s frankly a bit thankful). This means other people find him appealing, more so than when it was just a begrudging Kentarou admitting this fact.

Reason number two: Watari is also at club, and the libero is insanely perceptive. He’s bound to figure it out sooner or later, and Kentarou can only hope ‘sooner’ means ‘when they’ve graduated and Kentarou isn’t required to see either of them any more’.

Reason number three: Yahaba in general. Yahaba, who is his captain, who is his source of contention, who is his ally even though they can’t seem to exchange more than a few nice words at a time. Yahaba, who is (Kentarou knows that ‘straight isn’t the default,’ but since when has that not been true?) probably, almost certainly not into guys.

Reason number four: Kentarou is (not) in denial. Reasons three and four feel more important than the others, considering he’s in this strange sort of state where his immediate family knows he’s not straight, his close friends do, but he’s not capital-oh Out yet, not to the world.

So. There are four main reasons (there are so many others that compound and blend together) he shouldn’t be Looking At Yahaba, at least in the way he wants to look.

“Hey, Kyoutani. We should form a study group!” Watari asks as they leave practice one day, cementing his status as ‘almost friend’, just as Kentarou dreaded he would. “I’m roping our beloved captain in, too.”

Kentarou slams his locker door shut, using more force than is necessary. Watari doesn’t flinch.

“The three of us, no big groups of people. C’mon, between us we can cover most of the material well, right?”

And maybe that’s what gets him, the fact that Watari picked up on Kentarou’s dislike of crowds - it’s more than most others see. Maybe it’s that he admits he’s been skipping most ‘team bonding’ meetups Yahaba likes to conduct, or that Kentarou has a C average in math.

Whatever it is, he accepts. Though he knows he may come to regret it, he nods and sets up a time and only growls once, and Kentarou is at once terrified that Yahaba might join and nervous that he won’t - but he accepts nonetheless.

_But all I do is miss you // And you're not even mine_

Yahaba and Kentarou are not friends, but they’re nearing it. 

It shows in how Yahaba offers carrot slices to both Watari and Kentarou (though Watari’s always first, apart from once when Watari was in the bathroom). It shows in how Kentarou - sometimes - defers to Yahaba’s pick in music (even though they’re using his speaker, and Kentarou reserves the right to make fun of any and all choices). It shows in how Watari doesn’t have to mediate them constantly like he would at the end of their second year (though sometimes their bickering devolves into something less playful and more sharp, and the libero steps in).

This version of Yahaba is something Kentarou’s only seen from a distance, and he realizes that even though the setter behaves differently around different people, that doesn’t mean it’s not all genuine Yahaba. He’s stern but encouraging with the first years, pushy and proud with the second years, and as for the third years -

With Watari, you can see the gleam of friendship as if it’s tangible. They laugh at stupid stuff and less stupid stuff, tying things into previous interactions and conversing with their eyes. They play “She Sets The City On Fire” by Gavin DeGraw and scream the lyrics when the team wins a match. 

With Kentarou… with him, Yahaba gets tenser. He acts like he’s got something to prove, even though Kentarou’s long since realized he’s not just trying to be Oikawa’s second coming. He hides behind the cover of his captaincy and professionalism, taking shelter in whatever form their rivalry takes.

Can you be rivals if you’re on the same team? If you have different positions? For both their sakes, Kentarou pretends you can.

“I’m going to miss practice today,” Kentarou says gruffly. “My younger sister has something she needs me to pick her up from.”

Yahaba bites his lip, something that he does when he’s disappointed and wants to distract from it. “Can your parents do it? How long’ll it take?”

“They’re off helping my aunt with something,” Kentarou replies, looking away. “Took the car. I’ve gotta walk her back, so it’s gonna be a while.”

“Why haven’t I heard about this elusive sister?” Watari chimes in.

They haven’t heard about his sister for several reasons, and Kentarou debates an appropriate response.

“None of your business.”

Not a good conversation finisher on any account, and this scenario plays out to Watari feeling bad, Yahaba glaring, and Kentarou feeling guilty (even if it’s true).

“Because she knows a lot of embarrassing shit about me, and I don’t need the three of you interacting EVER.”

This leads to both teammates insisting they meet Himari immediately, thus having the opposite effect as desired.

“You said it yourself. She’s elusive, like a rare pokemon in that game you two enjoy so much.”

Reply three ends up being selected, as it has the virtues of both deflecting the question and making fun of the other two third years.

“I’ll have you know it’s a good relaxation method,” Yahaba sniffs, Watari shrugging in acceptance of his fate.

“I was just telling you so you’d know.” Kentarou carefully avoids continuing with ‘so you don’t think I’m skipping, or being willfully disobedient, and badmouth me to our kohai’.

“I’ll drive you.”

Watari and Kentarou look at him in slight disbelief, and Yahaba pinks. The part of his brain that just wants to Look At Yahaba takes over, and Kentarou stares without processing.

“What?” Yahaba says defensively. “I’ll take you, we’ll drop off your sister, and head back to catch the second half of practice. Watari can hold down the fort, and a team shouldn’t need their captain at all times.”

“You’re going to head back to find the gym on fire,” is all Kentarou can summon up.

“You doubt me, Kyoutani-kun?” Watari chirps, smiling pointedly.

Regretting his choices, Kentarou shakes his head silently. Honestly, Watari might have them all enrolled in the college of their choice by the time they return.

“Settled, then?” Yahaba offers, glancing between them. “Then I’ll pick you up outside the gates when school ends.”

Kentarou tries to ignore how that might sound in different, sweeter context, fails, and finally pulls together the presence of mind to nod. Watari eyes them, then flips open his notebook. It’s covered in color-coded calculus notes, a few statistics (Yahaba takes it, Watari and Kentarou don’t) and tasteful sketches of volleyballs.

“Now, study.” he orders. “We’ve got a test tomorrow, and I’m not at all confident on section three dash two.”

~~~

When he leaves school at the end of the day, he’s almost managed to trick himself into thinking his conversation with Yahaba never happened. Still, when Kentarou looks up, filled with hope and dread in equal measures - he’s there.

“Kyoutani,” he nods.

“Yahaba,” Kentarou nods back, scanning the parking lot. “Which one’s yours?”

“Thanks, Yahaba, what a good fr- iend you are, picking up my sister and getting you some practice time!” Yahaba teases, though he gets shaky after the first few words. His voice breaks on the word ‘friend’, but he finishes it, and Kentarou’s stomach flips at the same moment.

“Nah, this is your due,” Kentarou snarks back, ambling alongside the setter as they cross to the cars. “Friends are required to do dumb shit.”

“Well.” Yahaba pauses. “I may have ulterior motives.”

Kentarou raises an eyebrow, attempting to wave away the image of him saying something like “Actually, I like you.”, and snorts. “Fuckin’ figures.”

“Mm… I wanna meet your little sister. What’s her name?”

“Himari,” he grunts out. It’s probably one of the best topics they could’ve picked, especially since Kentarou honestly loves to talk about her (though he refrains).

“Himari,” Yahaba repeats thoughtfully. “Pretty name.”

“Yeah, she’s a sweetheart.”

They climb into the car, and Kentarou leans forward to switch on the radio before giving into the urge to poke fun. “Orange? Really?”

Yahaba grins. “Shut up, I like my car.”

“It’s pretentious as shit, just like you.” Kentarou remarks, plugging in directions to Himari’s middle school’s soccer field.

Once they hit the school, Kentarou hangs out the window to wave at his little sister. Himari eyes the car in mild shock and horror, but gets into the backseat with only one comment about kidnappers and poor taste.

“Hey, Himari.” Yahaba smiles into the backseat, and Himari valiantly refrains from raising an eyebrow.

She looks to Kentarou as if for a cue on how to act, reads something he didn’t mean to let slip, and smirks in the way he knows is a Kyoutani family expression. Yahaba’s face does something complicated, and he turns back to the wheel. “Ready to go?”

“I don’t know,” Kentarou muses, “it just occurred to me that you’re going to know where I live.”

“I’m not a stalker, Kyoutani!” Yahaba faux-protests, waving the GPS at him.

“That’s what a stalker would say,” Himari points out, doubling up on him even as Kentarou plugs in the coordinates. 

Yahaba lets out a sad noise. “Well, now that you’ve discovered my secret… you’re still in my car, remember?”

Himari eyes him. “I think we can take you.”

The indignant splutters the setter lets out chimes with Kentarou’s laugh, and they head for home.

~~~

Yahaba and Himari are now best friends, Kentarou is suffering, and Watari has whipped the team into shape so thoroughly they’re not sure if Seijoh has whiplash.

_Met your fucking girlfriend // She was looking perfect_

Yahaba and Kentarou are friends, but that’s all.

Kentarou knew this, though he’d accepted it, but it hurts differently when he knows Yahaba is dating the captain of the girl’s basketball team (because they’re a cliche, and Yahaba likes that, and Yahaba likes her). Worse yet is the way Himari makes a ‘hmm’ noise when it somehow comes up in conversation -

“When did you get his number, Mari, how -”

“Ah, I have my secrets.” Himari had smiled smugly, then remembered what they were discussing. Her eyebrows pinched together slightly, and the phone screen dipped from her face. “Hey, Ken…”

“I’ve got to walk Cat,” he’d replied quickly, blocking out the memory of Yahaba’s pinched face when he’d learned what the Kyoutanis had named their dog.

No, worse is probably whenever Watari gives him sympathetic looks as Yahaba is remarkably PDA with Yua (or, as Kentarou bitterly calls her in his mind, Basketball-Captain-Yahaba’s-Girlfriend-Yua). He wouldn’t have thought that the setter would be into that, but it’s hard to deny the fact that they’re kissing in the middle of the lunch room.

“I was gonna work with some of the first years on spiking practice today,” Kentarou excuses himself, shoving off from the table in a way that must disturb the couple’s face sucking, because Yahaba breaks away to look up at him.

He smiles, slightly dazed from kissing Yua, and laughs. “You’re a softy when it comes to the first years, aren’t you?”

“Tell anyone, and I’ll depose you as captain,” Kentarou retorts.

Yua giggles, and Kentarou hates the fact that she’s a sweet girl (apart from the PDA), hates that he can’t hate her. “How’ll you do that?”

Shrugging, Kentarou lets a corner of his mouth twitch up. “Abolish some rules, instate something that lets liberos lead.”

“Don’t I already?” Watari chimes in innocently, and Yahaba leans over the table to swat him. “Ouch - hey, Yahaba, you’re a wonderful dictator - leader, of course I said leader!”

Kentarou backs away, because the scene looks perfectly happy without him, and because he needs to pretend he really did schedule practice with their kohai. With any luck, he’ll find one and make it true.

~~

In the end, he does find a few, which backs up his claim in case anyone asks. They practice for the rest of lunch, and Kentarou puts everything out of his mind until Calculus.

Calculus, of course, being one of the two classes he was with Watari. Watari, his overly observant friend, who knows more than Kentarou would like him to and wants to talk about it (the very thing Kentarou’s been avoiding for longer than he’d like to admit).

“So,” Watari starts once they’re given free reign to work on their papers, “Yahaba and Yua, huh?”

“Even their names sound perfect together.” Kentarou realizes, then regrets both opening his mouth and the fact that his teacher let them work in pairs.

“True.”

Watari’s letting him lead the conversation. Clever libero. Huffing, Kentarou shrugs. “Yahaba’s perfect with her, he likes perfect things, what do you want.”

“Nobody and nothing is perfect.” Watari scribbles down another equation on his paper without looking at his pencil. “Yahaba will realize that eventually.”

“What does any of this have to do with me?” Kentarou asks, exasperated.

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” Watari says tactfully, “but you aren’t - straight, right? And - not that being something other than straight makes you attracted to everyone, of course! - but I might have gotten the impression that you’re. Interested. In Yahaba. And that’s allowed, okay?”

Kentarou stares at him for a long moment. “Did you read a pamphlet, or something?”

“My sister’s bisexual,” Watari replies easily. “Everyone knows, she got a girlfriend before she went to college and… she took it upon herself to educate us. Which is a good thing!”

“Well, it doesn’t matter if I’m interested in -” Growling, Kentarou stares at problem three. “What the hell is this sign?”

“For part one, you have to make it a factorial. High school relationships don’t last forever, you know.”

“It won’t fuck up the team, Watari. Okay?”

The libero looks up from his problem set in shock. “That’s not it. Kyoutani, I’m concerned because you and Yahaba are my friends.”

“... I appreciate your concern, but I’ve got it covered.” Kentarou offers a sharp ‘drop it’ smile, mingled with enough thanks to show he wasn’t really mad.

“Alright,” Watari accepts, and glances at Kentarou’s sheet. “That’s the wrong symbol.”

He’s right. “Shit.”

_Thought that I could change you // Fuck it isn't working_

Yahaba and Kentarou are, evidently, close enough friends that Yua doesn’t mind sharing time with him.

This means he becomes better acquainted with her than he’d like - or rather, becomes better acquainted with the person Yahaba becomes around her. Yahaba around Yua is charming in a non-abrasive way, fiddles with the bracelets she wraps around her wrists, and does tiny thoughtful things like buying a brand of chips Kentarou knows he doesn’t like as much just so they can share.

Yahaba around Yua is perfect.

And Yua around Yahaba is perfect, too: taking just enough chips that she seems thankful without being greedy, wearing a few bracelets more than normal so Yahaba has something to fiddle with, is sweet without being cloying.

It’s so annoying, how not-annoying they should be. 

“Number ten is a jerk,” she sulks one day at lunch. “I mean - how many fouls did she get? One? And the way she shoved Haruko? She deserved at least three.”

“She’s constantly violent,” Yahaba agrees, because they go to each other’s games like the absolutely adorable couple they are. “I don’t see how her captain lets her do that.”

Yua nods, bob swinging, as he continues. “It’s like how -” The setter stops, glancing guiltily at Kentarou.

“You can say it,” Kentarou spits, leg jumping. “It’s how I used to be.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Yahaba lies. “You work really well with the team, and you’re so good with the first years…”

He just wants this line of thought to be over, before the inevitable ‘that’s just not how you acted back then’ comes into play. “It’s whatever.”

It’s slightly tense for a minute, but then Watari cracks a joke and they get back to normal.

_I don't know if I'm the one to blame but // Every time I hear you say my name_

Yahaba and Kentarou are (according to other people) just as much a thing as Yahaba and Yue, but for very different reasons.

Yahaba calls him by name far more often now, and it sears under his skin, and people call them best friends. Which, he tries to tell them, is untrue - Watari’s both of their best friends, but they aren’t each other’s. Then Yahaba sulks and unties Kentarou’s shoes until he admits, fine, they’re best friends, now shut up and lead practice.

“Kyoutani,” Yahaba shouts as he sends the ball in Kentarou’s direction, and they land a point.

“Kyou~ta~ni…” he sings when the ace attempts to skip out of ‘team bonding’ something that he finds himself attending more and more (the first years really want him to go, for some reason, and so do Watari and Yahaba).

“Kyoutani,” the setter whispers. They’re lying in the living room, Yahaba draped over his couch and Kentarou curled up on a beanbag as their team members sleep. Team sleepovers were something Oikawa instated while he was captain, and Yahaba doesn’t seem inclined to give it up under his reign.

“Yeah?” Kentarou mumbles back, staring at the ceiling.

“... do you think I’m doing a good job as captain?”

Shifting to glance at him, Kentarou considers the question. The easy answer is ‘yes’, but that seems to bland for something that he wants to assuage Yahaba’s fears with. The other boy is lying on his stomach, gazing openly at Kentarou as he awaits his answer.

His stomach flips. “I think of you as my captain, even when you aren’t around.”

“You think of me when I’m not around?” Seemingly amused, Yahaba burrows his head further into his folded arms. Only his eyes are poking out.

“You’re very annoying. It sticks.” Kentarou smirks at his friend’s indignant yelp, shushing him. “Also, Himari adores you.”

“You were right,” Yahaba hums. “She’s a sweetheart.”

“Only sometimes,” Kentarou mutters, remembering how she’d stolen his pudding just the other day.

Perking up, Yahaba wrigges closer to the edge of the couch. “Can I come over next weekend? I wanna see her.”

“As long as you help watch Cat.”

“You drive a hard bargain, Kyoutani -” Yahaba had scooched further to the edge as he spoke, and now he tips of the couch onto the floor with a dull thud. Hissing, he holds his shin. “Frick - hecking - gah!”

“How do you live like this.”

They look at each other, Kentarou holding in a laugh and Yahaba holding in curses, and dissolve into silent giggling at relief that they haven’t woken anyone else.

When Yahaba does show up at his house, Kentarou discovers a new way for the other boy to say his name. “Hey, Himari!”

Kentarou’s sister stands at the top of the stairs, then rattles down them and flings herself into Yahaba’s arms. Kentarou scowls. “You’d think you were her brother instead of me.”

Yahaba sticks his tongue out. “Don’t be jealous, Kyoutani, it’s only natural she’d like me better.”

“You can’t call him by our last name in the house, dude,” Himari complains. “Too confusing.”

“Kentarou’s a stupid name, though!” Yahaba complains, unaware of how Kentarou’s heart has stopped. “I’m gonna call you ‘Tarou.”

“Oh, good, ‘cause Ken’s my nickname for him.” Himari tugs Yahaba into the kitchen, opening the oven to reveal whatever new concoction she wants them to try, and Kentarou stares after them.

Yahaba looks back over his shoulder. “Coming, ‘Tarou?”

It’s not even a choice any more. Kentarou comes.

_I can't move, I can't eat or sleep // I'm doomed, it's not fun for me_

“How many serves was that?” Yahaba demands, panting.

Watari frowns. “Too many. Come on, practice’s been over for hours.”

“I’m just gonna do a few more,” Yahaba assures them distractedly. “I have to get this right.”

“Yahaba…” Kentarou warns. He realizes that this is probably how Iwaizumi felt, having a stubborn ass of a workaholic best friend.

“Just a few,” Yahaba repeats, but at least he looks at them this time. “I promise.”

Rubbing a hand over his hair, Watari nods. “Fine, but you’re drinking a whole bottle of water after this.”

True to his word, Yahaba serves a few more times before dragging himself over to the sidelines. “Oh - Kyoutani, don’t you eat dinner at six like an old man?”

“I’ll just be a bit late,” Kentarou replies, tossing him a package of beef jerky. “I’ll get Mari to save me a plate, but you owe me.”

“Nobody asked you to stay~” Yahaba snipes.

Returning with filled bottles, Watari scoffs. “If you do a peace sign, Kyoutani’s going to karate chop you. And it will be much deserved.”

“Why’re you practicing this late?” Kentarou prods. “You’re not Oikawa, and that’s a damn good thing. Iwaizumi’ll probably have grey hair by the time he’s twenty, and I don’t need that shit. Watari’s already bald, basically, so he’s fine-”

“Hey, asshole -”

“I just wanted a distraction,” Yahaba shrugs, taking down the net.

_Sucking on a bottle of Jim Beam, wishing it was you // Yeah I'm sucking on a bottle of Jim Beam, wishing it was you_

Kentarou doesn’t mean to hear it, but he’s walking by at the wrong time - and why are they having this conversation at school, let alone by the gym? The first thing he hears is Yua’s distressed voice, and he almost moves to comfort her before he realizes it’s directed at Yahaba and that the last thing he wants to be involved with is some kind of lover’s quarrel.

“Do you even know you’re doing it?” she chokes out, like it’s hurting her to say. “It’s like you’re doing this to prove something.”

“I don’t understand,” Yahaba replies, voice sounding controlled.

Sighing, Yua tips her head back. “You only kiss me in public.”

“I’m sure that’s not true -”

“It is, though! And you’re perfectly sweet when it’s just the two of us, but you don’t want to initiate anything, and…” She breaks off. “It’s okay if you don’t want me, but please don’t lead me on for the sake of appearances.”

Kentarou wants to punch Yahaba, in this instant, because he’s spent enough time with Yua to know that she really, really likes him. As much as Kyoutani does, and she doesn’t deserve this - “... can we talk about this later?”

“Yeah.” Yua exhales, offers him a sad smile. “Think about it, alright?” Kentarou ducks out of sight before she turns and leaves, Yahaba standing by the door to the gym in upset confusion. Later, he buys a drink from the vending machine and bites the straw hard enough to puncture it.

_You put both arms around me // Said you're glad you found me // But only as a friend_

Yahaba and Kentarou are best friends in a weird way.

“You alright?” Watari asks Yahaba the next day, who shows up with dark smudges under his eyes and tense shoulders.

“... ah,” Yahaba says. “Yua and I broke up. So…”

“Shit,” the libero gasps. “That sucks - why -”

Silence reigns in the locker room.

“You gonna come into the gym or not?” Leaning into the room, Kentarou bumps shoulders with Yahaba. The setter gives him a grateful look and takes the escape, and the two of them pull Watari out behind them, his protests echoing through the gym.

When they leave after practice, Yahaba grabs his arm. “Help me clean up?”

“You know, you could give tasks like this to the first years.” Kentarou yanks his bag out of his sports locker.

“Yeah, but…” He bites his lip. It’s distracting. “You wouldn’t want me relegating such things to your precious kohai! You might lose part of your fan club~”

Kentarou accidentally slams the door too hard. “My what?”

Giving him a funny look, Yahaba starts taking down the first of the nets. “They idolize you, ‘Tarou. You can’t tell me you haven’t seen those second year girls at our matches.”

“They said they like volleyball,” Kentarou retorts. (Yahaba started using his nickname when they’re alone since that time he came over, which is odd but pleasant - even when he knows it doesn’t mean anything.)

“They said they -” The setter snorts. “Yeah, when you’re playing.”

Kentarou throws a volleyball into the container, and Yahaba makes an impressed noise before missing his own shot. “But I’m not Iwaizumi-san.”

“And I’m not Oikawa. I can’t believe you haven’t seen them swoon over you yet!” At this, Yahaba clears his throat and speaks in a falsetto. “‘Oh, Kyoutani-san… that spike was sooooo great - let me hand you your towel…’”

Yahaba steps forward and brushes dust off Kentarou’s chest, fluttering his eyelashes, and he tries to remember how he used to breathe. Then his expression lapses into something more thoughtful, and he inhales shakily.

“Captain?” Kentarou pokes him. “Your brain working with only three cells?”

Yahaba hugs him - something that’s never happened before - and Kentarou tenses before he can stop himself. But Yahaba doesn’t let go, so he wraps his arms around the other boy for something that is very far from a bro-hug.

“Thanks,” Yahaba whispers. 

It feels far more personal than anything they’ve done before, standing in the middle of an empty gym with no space between them, and Kentarou shivers. “For diverting Watari?”

“Yeah,” he mumbles. “And - for introducing me to Himari, and letting me make fun of the fact that you named your dog Cat, which is so stupid - and for coming back to club. Frick. I’m glad we’re friends, ‘Tarou.”

“I’m glad too,” Kentarou whispers back, and it’s only a quarter lie.

_My broken heart is pounding // Maybe I'm just selfish_

Yahaba and Kentarou are - undetermined.

Yahaba comes over a week after he and Yua break up, claiming he’s here for Himari and no one else (but Kentarou knows he doesn’t mean it, remembers that day in the gym). “We’re going to paint our nails, and no one can stop us!”

“I call purple!” Himari cheers, yanking a tray of macarons out of the oven. “Oh, yikes. Ken, did a timer go off earlier?”

“Shit, was that for - yeah, ‘course it was. Thought it was mom’s.” Rubbing the back of his neck, Kentarou leans on the counter. “Sorry, Mari.”

“You’re a poet,” Yahaba remarks, grabbing both Kyoutanis by the hand and swinging them as he walks. “Do you have blue? ‘Tarou, I think you’d look good in blue.”

His cheeks heat. “Is it stereotypical for gay men to wear nail polish?”

“Since when do you care about stereotypes?” Yahaba demands, lightly kicking open the door to Himari’s room.

The aforementioned girl swats at them, drawing their attention to her tray of polish. “Choose whatever you want on your nails!”

“You can pick a color,” Kentarou grunts. “I’m napping.”

“You can’t nap!” Yahaba whines, folding his arms. “I’m here.”

“An even better reason to nap.”

“Mar, your brother is a cruel, cruel boy.” Sulking, Yahaba flops against Himari’s shoulder. She faux-swoons too, sobbing theatrically.

“I’m giving you free reign over my hands!” Kentarou protests, to no avail. “What more do you want from me?”

Yahaba hums, gives him a measured look, and says nothing. Kentarou can’t help but feel like he’s missing something, so he reaches to rustle through the polish shades. “What?”

“Definitely blue,” is all he remarks, “Now go to sleep.”

Kentarou drifts off to Yahaba pointing out how Himari has roughly seven shades of purple, and his sister furiously retorting that “No, Shigeru-kun, that one’s lavender!”.

_But baby I can't help it // Look me in the eyes and say you never felt it_

This time, they’re at Yahaba’s place. Kentarou gets to call him ‘Shigeru’, because Yahaba claims it’s only fair, and they go up to his room even though nobody’s home. His captain’s saying something, leaning a bit too close and not close enough, but Kentarou’s somehow tuned him out -

“Hey. ‘Tarou? Ya listening?” He’s noticed Yahaba drops his accented fanciness and falls back onto the one he uses out of school around him, when there’s no one to impress. 

“Your shrill voice was penetrating my ears,” Kentarou responds quickly. “All I heard was squeaking… like a piglet on helium…”

“I don’t sound like that!” Yahaba shrieks, voice rising in a way that only proves his point.

Laughing, Kentarou hunches his shoulders and leans inward. When he opens his eyes - wow. They’re far closer than they were before, right? Because he can’t imagine a world in which they sit this close, on purpose, from the start. But now Yahaba’s there, and his eyes are trained on -

“Is it just me?” Kentarou whispers, thinking back to the gym. “Did you really - never think -”

Yahaba looks suddenly afraid and fierce all at once, before he leans in and kisses him. Kentarou kisses him back for a moment, then pulls away. “I’m not going to be your rebound.”

“Okay,” Yahaba mumbles. He moves in again, but Kentarou puts a hand over his mouth.

Ignoring Yahaba’s frustrated little noise, Kentarou looks at him sternly. “Do you even like guys?”

“I don’t know.” The setter looks back at him, certain in his uncertainty.

“... uh,” Kentarou manages. “Why the fuck-”

Yahaba sighs against his hand, exasperated. “I like you, though.”

Slowly, Kentarou removes his hand from Yahaba’s mouth. Yahaba waits patiently. “Are you going to fight me on it, this time?”

“Maybe,” Kentarou mumbles, just to be contrary. Yahaba presses his lips together, eyes him, and leans in.

For all his talk, Kentarou doesn’t protest.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how to call more attention to the BLM movement, but please consider going to a protest or some other way of helping! Every one is involved in this fight.
> 
> tumblr: socially-acceptable-username


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